When You Wish Upon A Star
by RukiaRae
Summary: A mopey girl's night with Kori, a few pints of ice-cream and a accidental use of 'I wish' brings Jynx into Raven's life. She should've known help from an unlucky witch was a bad idea.— AU Rae/KF rated mostly for language
1. The Problem

**Hey guys...I know what you're thinking-another story?! And, well, yes...I saw an old book at a bookstore that I'd had in 6th/7th grade and remembered the premise. I'm using that premise to make this story but, seeing as I haven't read it in years, I'm pretty sure this will be considerably different...anyway it seemed like a good idea to start before I went and forgot it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own _My Fair Godmother _by Jannette Rallison or the Teen Titans**

* * *

**The Problem**

"Hey," greeted Richard enthusiastically.

"Hi," she montoned, not in the mood for yet another of his pep talks. No, she just felt like lying on her bedroom floor, crying her eyes out, until she wasted away. But her mother still forced her to come to school, insisting that she'd have to face her peers again at some point. And she'd already had 4 days off.

She swallowed, dreading the inevitable moment she would see Gar. They had been dating and friends for the longest time but, after a Biology assignment with her, Gar had, "Seen Tara in a new light." Like with many other people, comparisons with Raven often saw her on the losing end. Even between her and the bitchy Tara, Raven was considered sub-par. How karma had seen fit to make this the case, Raven would never understand. However, she knew she was just too quiet, too sarcastic, too cold and just too distant (a fact that was more off-putting than she had assumed-clearly if Tara beat her in _any _way). She thought Gar, at least, understood her complex personality.

Though he, it seemed, was no exception.

_"Why?" she asked, her tone indicating it was as much an accusation as a question._

_"I like her a lot. She's...funny," he finished lamely._

_Vocabulary and articulation had never been one of his strong points._

_"And...What? I'm not?"_

_"You are," he groaned. _

_He knew she wouldn't make this easy on him._

_"So...what then?"_

_"We have a lot in common," he said apologetically, "She's just...fun. Carefree and spontaneous."_

_At least he had the decency to look sheepish. His emerald eyes desperately avoided her as he waited for her reply._

_Taking a calming breath, she said, "You say that like we've never had fun together."_

_She hated it, how desperate she must have sounded but, really, how could he? Although they had been only dating about a month, they were friends for years. Tara had moved to Jump about a year ago and was a bitch to him the first few months, ignoring him lest she lose her friends by talking to 'such a loser'. But Raven had always been there for her friends! How did she deserve this?!_

_While she was busy marshalling her thoughts into place, she noticed with some satisfaction that he'd begun to fidget with the edge of his green polo. _Good _she thought _Let him squirm.

_"Look, Rae," he began, his wandering eyes missing her cringe at the old nickname, "You're funny but we're also really different. You're sarcastic and keep to yourself, reading most of the time. We're good friends and I like hanging out with you-but with her I don't feel like I'm constantly trying to draw her out into the real world. She's engaged and...enthusiastic."_

_"You knew all of this about me. Why ask me out if my qualities weren't what you were looking for, Gar?" she asked sourly._

_"I made a mistake and I'm sorry."_

She closed her eyes and willed the painful memory away. And people wondered why she always acted distant.

"You sure you're okay?" asked Richard, his icy eyes giving her a questioning look.

"I'm _fine_," she snapped, wishing he would let it go, "I've had time to get over it, okay?"_  
_

He nodded but the concerned look in his eyes never left- he didn't believer her. _Fantastic._

Opening her locker, she grabbed the books she'd needed for her first few hours of class and quietly shut the locker door, hoping Gar wouldn't look up and see her. For once, the universe appeared to be on her side-he was too busy cuddling with his new girlfriend to notice her. As grateful as she was that he didn't see her moping and, well, looking at them, she still felt massively crushed that he, it seemed, couldn't give a damn about her.

She, somehow, managed to get through the first half of the day without incident. But it was lunch she was dreading most. She usually sat with Victor, Karen, Gar, Richard and Kori but now Tara would be there. Can you say awkward?

Still, she refused to back down. No, she would be there and act like her heart wasn't being torn to shreds watching her ex and that bitch. Pulling up the hood to her sweater, she meandered about, taking her time to return her books to her locker and grab her packed lunch. Closing the locker door, she nearly jumped when she saw Gar standing there.

"Um, heyy," he began awkwardly, once again finding the tails of his shirt more comforting than her calculating gaze, "I'm going to invite Tara to sit with us for lunch. Is that okay?"

As much as she hated the idea of being in such close proximity to Tara with the objective of being civil, Raven was grateful he had the sense to ask her. Still, he should know her well enough to know that she wouldn't refuse-she would put up with quite a bit to keep her pride intact.

"Yeah, it's fine," she said in her usual monotone.

"Hey, are you okay," he asked, "We've barely talked since this whole thing. I know you need time, but, I'd still like to be friends."

She scoffed, "Should have thought of that before. Honestly, what did you expect when you were hooking up with her during your Bio project?"

He cringed. She felt her heart soften just a _little. _That was the problem, she still didn't hate him. Was she hurt? Absolutely. But she couldn't bring herself to hate the "Green Bean" (as Vic affectionately called their vegetarian friend).

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Look. I don't know if we'll ever be as good of friends or what's going to happen. But you're right-I do need time. Five days isn't enough to make me forget or willing to forgive, okay?"

He nodded, accepting this.

"Invite her to lunch, I guess, but it'll probably be awkward since all of our friends know what really happened."

Awkward was an understatement.

Almost none of her friends made any attempts to talk to Tara or be inviting in any way at all. For most of lunch, silence reigned as Victor and Richard, both fiercely overprotective, shot glares Gar's way.

Raven silently thanked her friends-at least her sullen silence wasn't out of the ordinary. A small part of her also rejoiced in the fact that her other friends stood by her. She was also a bit happy to see Tara suffer so- the bitch deserved it for stealing her boyfriend. She frowned, aware her anger was getting the better of her...but, on the other hand, it felt so good to think of unconventional ways to kill the poor blonde bimbo. It helped her feel just a bit better._  
_

Having endured the torturous hour of lunch, Raven got up and made a beeline for the cafeteria exit.

"Friend," she heard Kori's chipper voice call, "Wait!"

"Yes Kori?"

"I was wondering if you would like to do the ritual mall of shopping trip? We could spend time at the mall of shopping and buy many lovely things before having the night of movies at mine!" she suggested eagerly.

Raven smiled at her foreign friend...but her smile vanished as quick as it came-Kori was also enthusiastic and carefree. Everything she was not.

Pushing the thought from her mind-honestly, did her brain have _nothing _better to do than torture her with such thoughts throughout the day?- and replied, "Sure, Kor. Why not?"

At least she had something to keep her busy and from feeling like a worthless piece of shit. Not to mention, this would have the upside of getting her friends to back off- she loved them but all the concern was suffocating.

Had she known what was going to happen, however, she probably would've re-thought the sleepover. Her life was about to get a whole lot worse.

* * *

Grabbing the plethora of colourful shopping bags (most of them Kori's), Raven hauled them up to Kori's room. It always blinded her when she first walked into the room after a long period of time. Everything was a sickly pink colour. _Everything. _

The sheets were a pastel pink under a vibrant pink comforter. The walls matched the bedspread. The nightstand was a stained sandalwood nightstand-stained a light pink like the sheets. The only things that weren't pink were the purple carpets and drapery. Raven wondered how Kori's parents went along with the colour scheme.

Putting the pile on her friend's bed, Raven waited for Kori to bring up the rest of the bags. Raven smiled as she heard Kori's groans from the weights of the purchases. Still, she was on the volleyball team and had weekly gym workouts-she'd be fine. Raven noticed Silkie rattling around in his plastic cage, obviously awoken by the rustle of many plastic bags and Kori's dramatic grunts as she worked her way upstairs. The naked mole-rat had begun to whine and Raven resisted the urge to feed it-she didn't know how much food to ration to the little guy.

It was funny, she mused, the day Kori purchased that thing from a pet shop, all of her friends thought it was so ugly (except Kori, of course). Yet, they all soon came to realise that it was the sheer ugliness of the creature (combined with it's mannerisms) that really did make him adorable. It didn't make sense but it was true nonetheless-he was so ugly as to actually be cute because of said ugliness.

Seconds later, Kori burst in, dumping her bags on the floor (where most of her clothes also resided, it seemed). With all the bags collected, Raven went through the task of finding her purchases among Kori's. It turned out not to be too difficult-anything that wasn't pink or purple was Raven's.

Raven smiled to herself as she ordered her items- 3 new shirts, a pair of purple skinny jeans, a new hoodie and new converses. Normally, she never bought clothes at the mall, this was an unusual change that, Raven knew, was only due to recent developments. In her defence, it was nice to get out for a bit and try things on as though she could be pretty. She sighed, examining the plain, black silky prom dress Kori had convinced her to buy. Kori had insisted that if Raven didn't have a date that she could go with the rest of their friends that didn't have dates either.

Which, Raven knew, would depend on her. Her friends could easily pair off-it would be single Raven that would prevent her friends from asking one another out as dates. After all-Victor had Karen, Gar had Tara, and Kori had Richard. Not to mention, she didn't want to be pitied-honestly, she knew that, while her friends meant well, they would be busy pitying her for the night-they would treat her like a fragile doll, sidestepping sensitive topics and making the night feel forced.

She knew she probably wouldn't go-but the dress had looked so pretty on her. In the mall, it had seemed like such a good idea to buy it and find a new date and make Gar jealous he'd ever left. Something about the stark florescent store lights and the loud always made buying things a seem like a good idea, though. She sighed, feeling pathetic yet again. After all, who buys a prom dress only to decide not to go? She felt a small step away from the stereotypical insane cat lady-the one who existed in every fictional neighbourhood that no one could or wanted to understand and that people went out of their way to avoid. Then again, if she were a cat lady, maybe she would still have Gar-his fondness for any animal was legendary. It was clear that he shared the same passion as his biologist parents.

The Disney movie marathon night Kori had planned really didn't help, either. Disney always had a happy ending and this, right now, wasn't something Raven wanted to see. She wanted to see something gory or depressing-somehow it helped when she was in moods like this. Especially now that Gar called her unenthusiastic. She had always been aware of this before, but it never seemed to bother him or her friends. Still, seeing a peppy disney princess get everything she could dream of due to a combination of said peppiness and good looks was almost too much. Sadly, Kori was still very much a child and didn't own movies that weren't disney or romantic comedies. Movies that always wrapped up neatly after 2 hours and comprised a "likeable" cast.

Stomach rumbling, Raven and Kori resolved to make some dinner prior to the film. Dinner that took a turn for the disastrous-after an hour of 'cooking', Raven's noodles appeared to have sprouted boils while Kori's concoction was covered in mustard and jiggling like jello. Both laughing at how, despite lessons from Victor, they couldn't cook, they quickly ordered pizzas before disposing of their failed attempts at dinner.

About 10 minutes later (much to Raven's happiness-sometimes it paid having a pretty friend that all the guys in the area fawned over) the pizza arrived. Taking it to the basement where Kori had her own movie theatre (complete with dark blue plushy seats, cup holders, and a large projector screen), they agreed Kori would get the first film pick and she would get the second.

Raven rolled her eyes as Kori picked, of course, _The Little Mermaid. _Raven could appreciate that her friend identified with the film-feeling completely foreign, not getting anything right and yet still capturing the heart of a handsome prince-she wasn't sure she could take yet another viewing of the film.

"You sure you don't want to see any other disney movie, Kor?" she asked, hoping to sway her friend.

Kori gasped, "FRIEND! Let us pick our disney movies based on the prince we like the most!"

Raven groaned as Kori squealed, laying out several DVDs and seriously discussing the merit of various fantasy princes.

"Sorry I asked," Raven deadpanned, grabbing a slice of pizza and wolfing it down.

"Friend," Kori began, her eyes sparkling, "Would it not be wonderful to have a prince like in the disney films? To dance with all night-such as at the upcoming ball?"

Raven snorted, "Prom?"

Seeing her friend's unwavering expression of interest in Raven's thought's on the matter (and that she was clearly unsatisfied by the response), Raven continued, "Sure, yeah. It'd be great. Though I may wish for some prince charming to take me to prom-"

She was interrupted by a _pop! _followed by a loud thud as a pink-haired teen about their age landed ungracefully on one of Kori's theatre seats._  
_

"Didn't see that coming," deadpanned Raven, surprise evident in her wide-eyes.

Kori and Raven exchanged bewildered looks before assessing the person in front of them. She had pale skin-paler than Raven's, which was an accomplishment-with pink gravity-defying hair that was shaped into two distinct horns and held with black bands. The girl was petite and skinny as hell. She wore what appeared to be a witch's costume (it was a simple black dress that was shredded at the bottom) and black and pink striped tights. What was the most striking about her, however, were her cat-like pink eyes.

Both Raven and Kori gaped, unsure of how to react.

"It would be nice if any of you cared how I felt after a fall like that," snapped the peevish girl, her face forming a scowl to do Raven proud.

"Are you okay, friend?" asked Kori hesitantly.

"I'm fine," snapped the girl, gracefully twirling out of the seat and flipping so she landed in front of the two girls. All in black platform shoes.

"Look, which one of you is Raven?"

Stunned, Raven raised her hand, "Me."

The girl nodded, all business, "My name is Jynx. I'm here to grant your wish."

"Excuse me?" Raven asked, "What wish?"

The girl sighed, "You'd think they'd put me in charge of competent mortals. You said, and I quote, '_Though I may wish for some prince charming to take me to prom...'_ and I'm here to fulfil that wish."

"That wasn't a wish," Raven protested incredulously, "That was a...a..statement! One that you didn't let me finish!"

"You said wish and my employer thought that enough to send me here."

"Well go back, I don't want it."

The girl huffed, "_Please _don't send me back. I'm trying to be good and this is my test to see if I can do it. Let me try."

Raven furrowed her brow, "Trying to be good? What does that mean?"

"My specialty is curses and hexes," she explained, "Hence the name. But I'm trying to turn it around!"

Raven sighed and looked at Kori, "I'm not going crazy am I? You hear her too, right?"

Kori nodded, dumbfounded.

Smacking her head, Jynx's eyes glowed pink and her hands erupted in the same pink energy. She directed the energy in small waves of at the seats, ripping them from their fastenings on the ground and sending them in to the back wall.

If it was possible, both girls' eyes widened further.

"Whoa," muttered Raven.

After a moment of silence, Raven decided to just go with it-how bad could this really end up being? If after three chances Jynx failed it surely didn't affect her life in the long term. Jynx would fail her mission and Raven would live as though none of this occurred.

"So you're saying you have the power to do what, exactly?" asked Raven cautiously, having read enough of Grimm's fairytales to know that magic was a fickle thing.

"I can send you back in time. I can put you into the pages of one of those books you like so well. I can make you the protagonist of any film. Hopefully, the story will resolve itself the right way and you will get your prince. If you mess it up I'd have to send you into another film/movie/book what have you."

Raven weighed her words, "How would this help me though?"

"Well, after your happy-ever-after I'd bring him here to take you to the prom and make your ex jealous. What happens to him from there is up to you. Here's the contract, it explains everything there."

Jynx handed Raven a sizeable stack of papers written neatly in pink ink.

"Fine, you can help."

And with that statement, Raven was doomed. Perhaps it was the professionalism of having a contract or perhaps it was at her hidden excitement that something interesting was going to happen to her but, whatever the reason, Raven's guard plummeted and she had signed her life away without inspecting the contract. Perhaps she was closer to Ariel than she cared to admit.

Naturally, her rushed acceptance meant there were some details she'd missed about the whole operation.

Jynx smiled, "Excellent."

"Now what?" Raven asked.

"Now, you pick where you want to go," offered Jynx, "I would also suggest picking a story or a historical period you know well-it helps to know how things should go. Let me warn you, though, tampering with real history can have disastrous effects. Still, it's up to you."

_If a bad-luck witch is telling me something is a bad idea, I suppose I had better not, then. Fiction it is_ thought Raven, mulling over just where she should go.

"Friend, how about we go into a disney movie to find such a prince?" suggested Kori.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea."

"But friend, I know the story lines to all the disney films. And they are all adorable. Who did you select as your favourite prince?"

She held up _Hercules, _"He's not my favourite but I like Meg's snarky comments."

"Friend, he is not a prince. He is in Greece and can never be a prince," she muttered to herself, frustrated by Raven's lack of understanding of the Disney universe.

In exasperation, Raven grabbed _The Little Mermaid_, "I know how this goes, I guess."

Before Raven could say anything else, Raven was surrounded by a flash of bright pink light. When her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she found herself in the ocean with a long, glimmering purple fishtail and, thankfully, the typical shell bra covered by a small bit of silver mesh that at least came down to her belly button and provided more coverage than what Ariel wore. Then it struck her-wasn't she _supposed _to be Ariel? Isn't that how this worked? This other mermaid Raven knew nothing about. And where was Kori?

Raven resisted the urge to groan-so as amends for Gar cheating on her the universe sent a bad-luck witch to help Raven fix her life. And now she may have messed up the spell. This was just _too _perfect.

Could this day get any weirder?

* * *

**So there it is.**

**Okay so I'm not sure who Raven should end up with...I'm thinking either KF, Aqualad or Speedy (though I find it hard to write either of them convincingly)-any preferences?**

**Drop me a quick line to let me know what you think! :)**

**~RR**


	2. An Accord

**So I kind of love this story and love writing it so...um...new chapter already! Woohoo! Love me my followers! (PS please note it's 9am after an all-nighter...side effects include some craziness)**

**OH OH! And a big thank-you to all who reviewed! XD I love you all for giving me a reason to write! **

**Now I know this story hasn't been up long but, due to the fact that most people called for it to be a KF/Rae fic, I've listed it as KF/Rae. If enough people PM/review that they _really really _want Speedy, I'll switch. Honestly, both would fit so well and the main romance isn't going to manifest for at least another chapter so Speedy fans you have time to rally. Or just let it be KF. Meh. (Sidenote to those rallying fans: the Aqualad ship has sailed.)**

**Oh and ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: I don't own Young Justice either (which should be obvious since I've disclaimed that I don't own the Teen Titans which are owned by the same people who own YJ...) But I did throw in some Young Justice characters because the TT cast didn't have enough regulars to fill my storyline**

**Anyway, hope you all enjoy this—I have no idea where it came from but I kind of liked it. It was unexpected, at least.**

**Without further ado..**

* * *

**An Accord**

Looking around at the vast, unending deep blue waters that surrounded her, all Raven could think was _Now what?_

No thoughts were spared to the miraculousness of her predicament—that she now possessed a tail and could exist underwater.

In her defence, she had been plopped in the middle of the ocean in a completely different world with no directions to Ursula's den or…anywhere…she had no point of reference to guide her. There was just an unending blue that stretched everywhere—it was almost suffocating.

Raven mentally ranted at the witch for dropping her into the ocean with no instruction. Feeling anger well up inside her at the thought of being completely powerless, Raven made a mental note to require Jynx's presence in her next wise.

Still, her thoughts devolved into further pointless methods of throttling or otherwise causing bodily injury to the witch that landed her in this predicament. After trying to take a calming breath, Raven felt her lungs sear as though they had been doused in gasoline and lit on fire. Coughs wracked her petite frame as she struggled to regain herself. After a moment, Raven realised gills on her fishtail were taking care of her breathing for her—meaning for her time underwater she needed to _not _breathe, a task that was much more difficult than it seemed.

Not to mention, swimming, even with being part fish, was difficult. It took up far more energy than Disney suggested. It also required technique, she was surprised to learn—the first few moments she had tried to swim all she managed was moving about a foot forward and ended up tiring herself out from flopping around so vigorously.

As she swam along, trying to find a point of reference, she found she would often slip and breathe (as she had needed to for 18 years of her precious life)—leading to more coughs and scorching pain. Didn't help that breathing was automatic—holding her breath for long intervals felt unnatural. Being a mermaid was _uncomfortable. _

Swimming along, the only thing remotely of interest that she encountered was the old capsized ship. Kelp tangled in its splintered wood. Bands of wood stuck out starkly from the structure, looking like strings that had snapped from a violin. A few sizeable holes could be discerned.

_Didn't Ariel steal treasures from here? _mused Raven as she swam leisurely to the boat.

Recalling that Ariel also narrowly escaped a shark attack from it, Raven was careful to listen and not expend too much energy while marvelling at how much was left behind on the ship. She examined each of the rooms, all eerily preserved in the dark depths of the sea. It almost looked like a warped nightmare with all the objects floating around an otherwise normal room. She shivered—she had never been one for horror and the rooms looked like paused scenes from _Paranormal Activity _or something. And it didn't help that she was all alone.

Speaking of..._where _was Kori? And where was her fat guppy fish?

Careful to remain aware of her surroundings, Raven almost decided to leave the boat before recalling that Ariel had grabbed a few items before her departure. Not wanting to screw up the story, Raven grabbed a few forks and spoons from the dining room (she hoped she didn't need to take the same things as Ariel—she didn't remember the movie in _that _detail) and swam off. When she emerged from the boat without encountering the shark, she felt a pit in her stomach. This wasn't how the story went, was it?

Stressed, Raven clutched her rusted silverware trinkets with such force that her knuckles went white from the pressure. Not that she noticed, she was too busy trying to formulate a cohesive plan that involved more strategy than swim around.

Then she saw it, the movement of a shadow. Unsure of what it was, Raven decided to follow it. She knew it was dumb—hell it could even be the shark—but it was the first sign of life that she'd seen while down here (ignoring the seaweed, of course). She sped off into the direction she'd seen the silhouette, hoping that she hadn't lost it.

The figure turned out to be incredibly fast and annoyingly elusive. She'd tailed it (pun intended) for at least 20 minutes through lifeless waters and never seemed to get any closer to it. It also didn't help that the current was getting more insistent, tugging her roughly about as daylight faded, leaving her further submerged in darkness. She huffed in annoyance and saw, alarmingly, the figure swim upward just past her in an extremely close call. Raven squinted, trying to make out his goal, but he only seemed as though he were swimming toward a smudge.

Seriously out of breath (seriously—she couldn't actually breathe), Raven slowly followed and noticed the smudge become increasingly large and clear as she rose up. The waters here were still a dark purple but the moon's calming rays pierced the waters, giving her some idea of her surroundings.

As she floated closer, she saw the figure's trident glow yellow, illuminating his golden armour and blue-green face. The figure then aimed his weapon at the ship, causing part of it to violently explode, hurling those on the deck violently into the turbulent waters. Others began to run and jump over the rails in a panic while some stayed and tried to disconnect the lifeboats for the fallen sailors.

Pushing the criminal from her thoughts, Raven hurried to the surface and grabbed one of the men and struggled to keep herself and the man afloat. Luckily, those who had detached the lifeboats were capable of carrying some of the extra men. Struggling against the churning waves and the extra weight, Raven finally made it to a small, wooden rescue boat and nearly capsized the small lifeboat in her attempt to shove the sailor into it. Luckily, once the crew had regained themselves from the shock, they quickly helped her pull the lad to safety.

She repeated this process several times, rescuing those whom she first came across. Losing energy quickly, Raven ploughed on. She was so intent on remaining conscious and on rescuing as many as she could when a deep, brusque voice sliced into her concentration like a bucket of cold water to the face.

_What are you doing? _

Trying to regain her dignity after she leaped from shock, Raven opened her mouth to speak—and found herself in another coughing fit. _Figures_.

The man chuckled rudely _It's called telepathy. Use your mind to communicate with me. _

Scowling at his condescending demeanour, Raven thought _A little help would be nice. _

_Why are you doing this, mermaid?_ Raven frowned, registering the acidity with which he'd used the epithet 'mermaid'.

_I'm not going to let these innocent men drown if there's something I can do about it_!

Swimming closer to her, Raven could make out the boy's silhouette—he had two legs! How was that even possible?

_Innocent?! _He barked _These humans only know how to destroy. Their garbage kills my friends every day. And, once they taint the land they move, polluting even more of our precious water._

_And you would condemn them to death for this? _She thought harshly _Why...you are no better than them. You cannot destroy the land so you destroy their lives as retribution. That is not justice, that is vengeance._

After a long pause, the boy narrowed his eyes and said dangerously _I may regret this, but I will help you. If you turn on me, fishtail, I will make sure it is the end of you._

Raising a brow, she thought _I have nothing against you. You're the one with a problem._

Without looking to see if he would uphold his promise, Raven grabbed another man and hauled him to the nearest lifeboat. She could feel the darkness at the edge of her vision, threatening to encroach further but providing a comfort—it whispered to her, inviting her to close her eyes and succumb to its loving embrace. Ignoring such thoughts, Raven managed to rescue two more before the peevish boy reached out to her.

_Stop, you're going to kill yourself, you fool. I've got my friends on it and they're rescuing the last of them. _

Grateful, she managed a nod and waited as two dolphins emerged with four sailors. Almost all of them looked gruffy and hairy, however, one in particular drew her attention. He looked exactly like Connor with his strong jaw, pale complexion and short, ruffled, onyx hair. He was only missing Connor's signature superhero t-shirt.

_When you're done oogling, we can leave._

Scowling, Raven replied _I wasn't oogling. He looks like someone I know. _

_How do you know any of their kind, fishtail? _

If possible, Raven's scowl deepened. This man was getting on her last nerve.

_ I owe you no explanations. _

Making a move to swim away, she didn't see the wave crash down on her or what she hit but, before she could register what was going on, she was enveloped by shadow and water.

* * *

Gingerly opening her eyes, Raven groaned. Her body felt as though it had been run over by a truck. All of her muscles screamed in pain from her rescue of the drowning sailors. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Raven forced herself to sit up.

Looking around, she began to take in her surroundings for the first time. She was in a dark blue room that was sparsely decorated. Across the room was a vanity in a dark-stained wood with a silver brush gleaming on its otherwise immaculate surface.

The floor was covered in an aquamarine carpet and the room was remarkably dry. She was spread out on an aquamarine couch, positioned so that her tail rested in a tank of water. Frowning, Raven wondered how to get someone's attention. Should she just think loudly?

Deciding that she had no other plan at the moment, and that it could work seeing as that was how she communicated with the rude guy, she thought _Hello? Anyone there? _

She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but nothing wasn't it. She sighed and, after another inspection of her room, decided that she liked it. She would like it more if she could move freely, but, given her condition, it was an understandable setback.

After about an hour, Raven decided she was done waiting around for someone to finally remember that she existed. Getting into the tank, Raven manoeuvred herself so that her gills and torso were underwater and so that her arms and fins stuck out of the cramped container. She then reached her arms out over the sides and began to push it, much like a wheelchair, across the floor. The carpeted floor. _Fuck friction._

It was murder on her poor arms which protested with each movement. It was a horrendous idea, however, Raven was not going to waste energy going back the way she'd come. Not to mention, it would have been impossible to _pull_. There was nothing to grab onto and she was pretty sure that if she tried to turn around she would only succeed in toppling her water source over. Instead, she stared intently on at the plushy couch she had been on earlier and willed herself to continue. She just hoped that someone outside the room would see her when she arrived, she hated to think this effort was only in vain.

Pausing every so often to give her arms a break, it felt like hours before Raven reached the dark door that barred her path to freedom. Straining, Raven lifted her hand and managed to tug the doorknob enough where she heard it _click_. Feeling incredibly satisfied, Raven turned in her crate to glimpse the world beyond the door.

What immediately caught her attention, however, was not the magnificent skyline of coral spires that spread out before her, but rather, the fact that the water from the outside had somehow stopped at the room as though an invisible barricade held it out. Amazed, Raven ran her hand along the water, watching as the ripples marred her view of the outside. Eager to explore and leave her aquarium, which, she was pretty sure, gave her all kinds of muscle cramps, Raven pushed herself from her aquarium and scooted into the water where she was free to roam.

She marvelled at the various colours of the different towers. Some were in orange hues, others in pinks. A few were closer to red. They all seemed to illuminate. Caves and rock formations also held inhabitants. Everywhere she turned she saw underwater humans coexisting with the natural formations of the area.

It would have been remarkable had they all not treated her like the dirt under their fingernails. She was bumped into more times than she could count. The excuse was "Oh, I didn't see you. It's like you're invisible." He he, ha ha. _So_ clever.

When she was worthy enough to receive recognition, it was always a glare or a few choice insults said in a foreign tongue. The peevish boy who had helped her was starting to look incredibly well-mannered.

"Oh, I'm _so _sorry," Raven apologised, or tried to after choking on water, after running into someone during her silent seethe-fest. It didn't help her mood at all that this person had a _very _hard metal disc on his back, a fact Raven's nose could attest to. Rubbing her angry nose, she contemplated on why she was being polite. It wasn't like these people expressed any nice sentiment for her.

Still, she acknowledged the need for a guide to help her figure out what was going on and being rude wouldn't accomplish anything. Hell—she might land herself in a fight in the middle of this god-forsaken place, a thought she didn't relish. _Maybe I should have kept up my martial arts training with Dick..._

"_No problem, no need to apologise. The name's Kaldur_," he stated as he turned to face her, seemingly unfazed by her apparently distinguishing fish tail and her attempt to talk. She made a mental note to remember the whole telepathy thing.

Raven allowed herself to take in his appearance. He had chocolate coloured skin that perfectly matched his eyes. His hair was cropped, causing it to form soft blonde curls. He was toned and, Raven noted, had gills along the side of his neck. She frowned, had she known she could've had gills on her neck, she would've wished for that.

"_Hi_," she communicated shyly with an embarrassed wave, "_My name's Raven. I'm lost and, no offence, but most of these people are less than helpful_."

He smiled, amusement dancing in his warm eyes, "_That's kind of what happens when nations war for centuries_."

His demeanour reminded her of Victor's when he wasn't busy arguing with Gar or Richard about food or videogame competitions. The thought of her friends back home sent a pang of sadness through her. She wondered if any of them had noticed her absence yet-she had no idea how the time difference manifested itself (a question she probably should have asked). Focusing on the present situation—she would never see her friends again if she didn't find a way home—she replied _"We're at war? But everything seems so peaceful._"

Skepticism now clouded his face as he regarded her. Raven silently cursed herself...she should know better than to draw attention to herself. She also realised that she didn't introduce herself as Ariel. Gloomily, she noted that she was just messing this story up. She wasn't even supposed to be...wherever this was.

"_We're not _now, _but it's been off and on for the longest time_," he explained, "_You sure you're okay_?"

"_I'm fine_," she thought, her thoughts dimmed in embarrassment, "_Must have hit my head harder than I thought_."

It was a flimsy excuse but he accepted it nonetheless.

"_Come on, I'll take you to the royal family. They'll want to know that you're awake_."

Nodding, she followed Kaldur across the city, doing her best to ignore the stares and glares directed her way. She could tell that some of the glares and insults were directed at Kaldur, a fact she felt bad for.

"_Wait_," she stated firmly and stopped swimming.

"_Is there any way I can be of assistance_?" he asked calmly, seemingly unaffected by being ostracised by such a large crowd.

"_Um, if you want to just point me in the direction of the royal family, I can go alone. No need for us both to endure the crowd's displeasure_," she offered, "_Not to mention I'm the cause_."

He gave her another warm smile, "_It's fine. I was headed there, anyway. And this treatment is nothing new, they've taken a dislike to me already_."

She stared at him as though he'd sprouted another head. He'd relayed all this information to her without once losing his inviting demeanour. It was incredible, really, how well he seemed to handle it.

"_But I appreciate the concern_," he added, "_It's so unlike your kind. I was always told of merfolk being vain and self-centred_."

_Vain and self-centred? That never came across in Disney _Raven mused.

Shrugging, she replied nonchalantly, "_Guess I'm just the black sheep_."

"_Being the black sheep isn't always a bad thing_," he stated before continuing on his path.

She let out a sigh of relief that she was unaware she was holding. She hadn't made a fool of herself again. Score. She began to follow him once more, in higher spirits than she had been.

Not long after, they reached the tallest coral structure of them all. It looked to be a giant seashell and was, from her limited view, hollow on the inside. It was bathed in a soft, golden glow which made the pink coral structure look almost erethral. A graceful arch lined with vibrant emerald seaweed invited them in. As they swam inside, Raven noticed with relief that water was allowed to flow throughout this structure.

Directly at the other end from the entrance was a massive staircase which led up to a dais with four thrones bathed in pearls and the occasional starfish attached at random intervals. Seated in the two most prominent thrones were, she guessed, the King and the Queen of this place.

The King had hair that shone so vibrantly it could have been spun of gold. His eyes glittered with intelligence and were violet, like hers. A rare colour. A dusting of blond stubble covered his square jaw. He wore fitted green trousers and a glittering gold shirt that gave the illusion of scales. His golden belt was shaped in a stylistic design of the letter 'A'.

Shifting her attention to the woman next to him, she found the woman quite different from her counterpart. Where the King embodied masculinity, she embodied the softer side. Her hair was a deep ebony and her eyes glinted like onyx, sharp and inviting, mysterious and unending. She was all curves and wore a simple ensemble of a dark blue suit with an ivory belt which held up an aquamarine skirt that faded to white with slits up the side. Her skirt reminded Raven of white water rapids.

The young man with them remained standing. He bore a striking resemblance to his parents. He had his father's strong jaw and his mother's raven hair, which tumbled to his shoulders. His eyes were incredibly dark and alluring, like his mother's, but caught in the right light flecks of violet could be clearly discerned. He, too, was well-built—he wasn't overly muscular but toned, much like a swimmer, actually. Raven, however, noticed his stance was hostile, his arms were crossed, a frown peeled across his lips and his eyes held no mirth.

Kaldur kneeled before them and Raven followed suit.

"_Orin, I have brought Raven to you. She awoke not long ago_," explained Kaldur, still on his knees examining the floor below him.

Seeing his lack of eye contact, Raven immediately wished she had not examined the royal family so intently. Especially since there was already ill-will around her heritage.

"_You may both rise_," rang Orin's deep voice, "_You have done well Kaldur. Come and take your rightful place beside us_."

Raven's eyes widened; she hadn't expected him to be a royal too. He didn't look related to the family at all—perhaps that accounted for why he was disliked?

She wished they hadn't summoned Kaldur, she now felt even more vulnerable with no friends near her.

"_What is your purpose_?"

Raven felt the wind leave her lungs for a brief moment. That voice...belonged to the guy who had helped her. Was she allowed to mention that or would aiding a mermaid bring him trouble?

_"Um...," _she thought, trying to find a way to explain her predicament without making it seem like she had lost her mind, "_I was seeking out the sea-witch to turn me into a human for a short time. I have business on the surface. A friend in need."_

"_Ursula?" _he thought, _"You really are a fool. She has not reformed her ways and will not keep her word."_

Raven gave a small smile, "_Since when do you care what I do?"_

He bristled as though her words were as sharp as a porcupine's quills.

Before he could reply, Orin cut in, "_Garth is right, seeking aid from her never results in anything pleasant. Other merfolk have made similar requests and, as I'm sure you know, she demands their tongues in payment. Payment which she flaunts with by sewing their gnarled, rotted tongues into a necklace for the world to see! It's disgraceful."_

Raven was sure the surprise she felt showed on her face, if only for an instant. This was the Hans Christen Andersen version? Thank the fates she didn't stumble there first. She knew how that version went—Ariel chopped off her tongue to turn human and, as blind as any typical male, the prince never understood that Ariel was the girl who saved him and would do anything for him. Instead, the prince, despite an attraction to Ariel, married a random bitch who entered the fray in a burst of bad timing to steal him away...bitch...bitch...bitch...

Raven frowned, realising that her brain was drawing parallels between her and a fictional story that she absolutely hated. She needed to get a grip. She was so lost in thought, berating herself for being unable to let go of Tara, that she almost missed Orin's next statement.

_"I have a proposition to make, if you're willing to listen."__  
_

_"Well, don't leave us in suspense," _she drawled, glad to have regained herself so she didn't look like an idiot.

_"We have recently been plagued by a problem. The criminal, Trident, has been stealing various items from the surface-dwellers. We need to find him and find what his goal is. If you help us detain him, we will use our magic to turn you into a human. Should you agree to this proposal, you may consult with my son, Garth, for further information as he has been pursuing this case closely for some time."_

Raven weighed her options. She could stick to the story and have her tongue ripped out, but she wasn't sure if that would be a permanent feature of her life after the spell and _really _didn't want to risk it. On the other hand, she wasn't really relishing the thought of working with this conceited prince to _maybe _solve this mystery and _maybe _turn into a human. Then again, her sea geography was fairly limited and, she reminded herself, she had no clue how she even arrived at..._this place_...ugh she really needed to figure out where the hell she was. Seeing no other real alternative, she mentally agreed.

She was, however, shocked when Orin stood up and bowed to her, _"It shall be our honour to have one of the members of the royal family of the merfolk aiding our search. Tonight we shall prepare a feast in honour of this event."_

She stood like a deer in headlights, wracking her brain about useless trivia on _The Little Mermaid _that might help her determine if Ariel had been, in fact, a princess.

He chuckled, pulling her back to the moment, "_You are surprised. I noticed your violet eyes instantly. Just like in your culture, here violet eyes are a sign of royalty. I did not mean to put you on edge."_

She allowed herself a small smile. She liked that her genetic defect served as an advantage to her here. She was perceived as royalty? She could live with that.

Returning his bow, she replied, "_Ah, I am sorry to have doubted. I would be honoured to feast with you all tonight. And I will be glad to begin this mission whenever your son feels like educating me about this criminal."_

_"Splendid."_

Bowing one last time, Raven turned and swam away. It seemed the royal family was mostly intent on allying themselves with her and, though she could not account for why, she hoped to wrap up this mystery and move on quickly lest they change their minds.

Taking a swim outside of the city limits, Raven decided she would see if she could summon Jynx. She knew she ought to have tried before, however, it would have looked odd to have shouted "Jynx!" when pursuing the silhouette in her first excursion or anywhere in the city limits of...the city. Damn. This was one of those times that Raven wished fiction would be like the real world.

Jump City practically shoved its name down the throat of visitors with its various sports teams and souvenir shops. Had she been plopped in the middle of Jump (or any other modern city), she would easily be able to locate a train station and the inevitable tacky souvenir shops that latched onto the thriving subway in hopes for a few meagre sales. Sadly, this place didn't seem to even have a local newspaper (which, Raven noted, made sense since the ink would bleed away and the paper wilt instantly).

Reaching a fairly secluded place (with the skyline still visible so she could find her way back without relying on some cursed breadcrumbs, or something), Raven called, telepathically (or she tried), "_Jynx. I could really use some help right now."_

Nothing happened.

After about 15 more minutes of calling out to Jynx telepathically and with her voice (despite the inevitable lung-scorching), she got no reply. It didn't matter if she cursed, whined, complained, grovelled, or screamed. Jynx didn't respond.

Defeated, Raven felt her shoulders sag under the knowledge that she was completely alone.

* * *

**So I know Aqualad (Garth) seems like a total dick and is OOC but he'll get better! It's all in the name of character development! Hopefully my late-night craziness didn't make Raven seem too OOC (which she might—thoughts?). **

**Please, please review! It makes my life!~**

**~RR**


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